COVID-19 Telemedicine and Vaccination at an Urban Safety Net HIV Medicine Clinic

In response to the emerging coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in March 2020, the Owen Clinic at UC San Diego Health scaled up telemedicine to ensure the continuity of human immunodeficiency virus primary care. A group of nurse practitioners, physicians, and a physician assistant developed a dedicated COVID-19 telemedicine clinic to provide virtual health care services to patients with or at risk for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. This effort contributed to successful health outcomes for the clinic’s 476 patients diagnosed with COVID-19. The Owen Clinic was also the first ambulatory clinic within UC San Diego Health to implement on-site COVID-19 vaccines. Nurse practitioners and a physician assistant spearheaded these 2 clinical initiatives.